Probably the 3rd time watching this movie, i’d previously seen the MST3K riffed version (Go Packers!), unriffed and tonight, it was the turn of the ‘Rifftrax’ crew to give this uncomfortably incestuous picture a run through the ringer

It’s exactly what it says on the tin, a meteorite containing dozens of diamond hard spider eggs crash land in a field in the mid west prompting 2 or 3 storylines revolving around a dollar tree Tom Atkins and his science partner lab tech friend trying to find the location of the meteor (and theres something about a black hole going on) and the main plotline revolves around a small hillbilly cluster family who find some of the eggs, hatch them and unleash…THE GIANT SPIDER INVASION!!!

Theres a good reason this one is a prime returning candidate for riffers old and new. The script feels like an automatic writing experiment gone awry, the pacings awful, the tone is dryer and stodgier than unbuttered bread and just plane icky at points with Alcoholic mums hitting on 15 year olds, and incestuous uncles trying to coeerce underage nieces into awkward positions for fake diamonds…its…an experience…make no mistake. The act structuring is sloppy with no clear raising or lowering of the stakes, and the film abruptly ends with a resolution that comes out of left field and feels rushed.

The directions more competant than SOME of this films peers…but that really isnt saying much, again its overly basic, doesnt really follow the ‘rules of film’ and doesnt feel particularly ‘refreshing’ to sit through.

the cine is rushed, with poor compositions and strange B-roll choice, the editing is atrocious, with a lot of the sound effects and music cues getting abruptly cut off before they’re even halfway through playing.

The performances are atrocious, everyone looks like they’re on the verge of severe heart failure. exhausted, tired, sweaty, barely able to remember their lines…this cast look like they begrudge having to physically act in this thing…its amazing.

One of the more infamous entries from Bill Rebane, The Giant Spider Invasion is a bizarre film…but one I do ultimately have a bit of a soft spot for. The Rifftrax crew did a pretty good job on this one with some really funny bits a couple big hitters and their short to open proceedings was equally hilarious. I do still think the MST3K version is my preferred way to catch this one…But this more than scratches the itch.

source https://letterboxd.com/tytdreviews/film/rifftrax-live-giant-spider-invasion-2019/